Overhauling my mailing list policy

» Posted Monday, the 29th of June, 2009 at 1:39 pm in Stuff by stv
"Mailboxes" by Ken Yuel

"Mailboxes" by Ken Yuel

Putting the “shame” back into “shameless self-promotion”

So I got a bit of a wake-up call last week when a self-confirmed shameless self-promoter, who had personally advised me to be just like them, unsubscribed from my mailing list. I thought to myself, “Jeez, perhaps I’m being a little too aggressive.”

The problem seems to be in the whole Song Fu thing. There’s a small group of you (I’m estimating about 50 or so based on voting results and reported voting irregularities) who want to be notified of every Song Fu voting opportunity. And then there’s the rest who’d prefer not to hear from any mailing list, mine included, more than once a month.

So I’m expanding the info I track in my mail system so I can set up a special group of folks who want the Song Fu reminders so people who don’t want them won’t get them. Fair enough?

Simply tick the Song Fu box when updating your records (see below) to get in the special Song Fu group.

Other changes

I’m trying to figure out how to make a mailing list more of a two-way conversation, so I’m gathering personal information about subscribers on a strictly voluntary basis. As before, the only required field will be your email address, but if you’d like you could:

  1. tell me your name, thereby allowing me start your email with a simple “Hi Joe” (or whatever your name happens to be),
     
  2. tell me where you live so I have a better understanding of the geographic regions that are more receptive to my music,
     
  3. let me know if you have a website so I can include a link back from my Resources page if it’s suitable for work, etc., and
     
  4. tell me something about your self to help me get a better understanding of who you are.

All of these changes are effective immediately. If you can think of anything that I may have overlooked, please leave a reply in the comments or send me a private message through the Contact page.

How to update your records

There are three ways to update your mailing info if you so choose.

  1. If you still have one of my mailings in your inbox, click on the link at the very bottom that gives you the option to unsubscribe. Click that link and it will also give you the option to update your details.
     
  2. Follow this link and enter your email address to get access. Then click the link to send yourself a verification email and then click on the link when you receive that email. Then you should be good to go.
     
  3. You could always wait until the end of July when I’m planning the next installment of the newsletter to click on the link for updating your records.

Mad respect to everyone from my big sister to Mike Lombardo who helped me figure out what I was doing wrong & let me see the other options that were available to me. Folks like you seriously rock.

Why I’m closing my Facebook fan page

» Posted Sunday, the 28th of June, 2009 at 8:56 pm in Stuff by stv
Yeah, not that kind of fan

Yeah, not that kind of fan

I know it’s a bit odd to hear of a musician closing a fan page, but that’s just what I’m doing.

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An open letter to all Richards

» Posted Friday, the 26th of June, 2009 at 10:56 am in Stuff by stv

Richard

Dear Richard(s),

I received an email yesterday from someone who was less than thrilled about the video for my new song “You Chose to be a Dick,” and I thought I should take a quick moment to clarify things a bit.

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The Dreaded Five Year Plan

» Posted Wednesday, the 24th of June, 2009 at 11:04 pm in Stuff by stv
Beware the ides

Beware the ides

This blog entry may contain “forward-looking statements”. Readers are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and that actual developments or results may vary materially from those in these “forward-looking statements.”

A little while back I thought I needed a little bit of a road map to help me figure out the arc that will take me from being mild-mannered stay-at-home dad with a modest web-based consultancy to becoming a self-sufficient fully-independent singer-songwriter so I can concentrate all my efforts on writing music (and run-on sentences) full-time.

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Much Ado About Song Fu

» Posted Wednesday, the 24th of June, 2009 at 8:23 pm in Stuff by stv
It's not really about the votes

It's not really about the votes

My official stance on all Song Fu-related voting issues

I just got this message from a frustrated relative on Facebook:

Hi Steve – Can you send me the link to vote? I’ve gone through your message on facebook and each time, choices have been made for me already. Very frustrating! We like your song -
xo

Yup, that can be frustrating. On the official Song Fu page there should be a section with a bunch of checkboxes beside peoples’ names for voting, but sometimes the system thinks you’ve already voted & just shows you the results. Certain names will be bold to show you which ones the system thinks you voted for.

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